MRRD executes more than 41,000 projects in 3 years

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) on Saturday said more than 41,000 projects benefiting 12.4 million rural population have been executed in the country during the past three years.

Briefing reporters about projects’ implementation, Akbar Rustami, MRRD spokesman, welcomed the Asia Foundation survey that showed one-thirds Afghans were optimistic about the future of their country.

The MRRD implemented 792 projects in 225 districts of the country in eight months of the current solar year alone, he said, without giving details.

Talking about MRRD achievements in the past three years, Rustami said 1,502 other projects were currently under implementation in the country and some would complete until the end of the current year.

He said the MRRD had so far spent 78 percent of $272 million budget for this fiscal year, which will end 26 days later.

Talking about Citizen Charter program, Rustami said: “It is a national program, it is the charter of generations, the national unity government has the plan to improve people’s livelihood and services with this program.”

Despite problems and challenges, the MRRD is working on improving livelihood of rural residents, something reflected in the Asia Foundation survey, he said.

He added the Citizen Charter program would cover 2,000 villages in the next three years as initial work of the program had been currently completed in 1,200 villages.

“Under this program $171 million will be spent next year on implementing development projects and improving people’s livelihood,” Rustami said.

The MRRD also constructed buildings for 500 schools during the past three years in order to facilitate students’ education.

In the same period, the ministry asphalted 56,000 kilometers of roads, covering 60 percent of villagers.